Cambridge and international development - The Humanitarian Centre

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1 What is innovation in international development? Innovation transforms lives. It shakes up the established way of doing things. Innovation is about new ideas, and turning these ideas into reality in the face of stark challenges. The sheer numbers of people living in poverty require new approaches that move beyond ‘business as usual’ International development aims to improve the lives of the poorest people by raising incomes, providing health and education and giving them the power and opportunities to change their lives. It aims to reduce inequality and protect the most vulnerable during disasters and conflict. Development takes place in communities but can be steered by governments, businesses or non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Innovation is the process of new ideas and inventions being developed and becoming the regular way of doing things. It is about creativity, problem solving, adaptation and change. And it is going on all around us every day, from Cambridge high flyers to those struggling to survive in the developing world. Innovation challenges existing ways of doing things. It is the opposite of ‘business as usual’. >> Innovation is the translation process, getting the invention to a place where it can be used Shelley Gregory-Jones Development Director PHG Foundation Innovation takes many forms. It may: • be planned or spontaneous • result from research or emerge from practice • result from action by individuals, communities or organisations • involve a complete change in the way things are done or achieve smaller incremental changes • involve the active participation of its target group or be carried out in a more top-down way. Innovations are created by people who see the world in a slightly different way − those who see opportunities that others overlook. For innovations to be successful they must meet a need and be adopted by people. Adaptation and learning (including learning from failure) are therefore key parts of the innovation process, making it both dynamic and unpredictable. How does this relate to international development? International development cannot happen without innovation. Without innovation things stay as they are. In previous years, development aid involved exporting ideas and technology directly from developed countries 06
© Momentum Arts - Street Child World Championship > Millions of vulnerable children around the world are left with no choice but to live on the streets. When four Cambridge families visited South Africa in 2007, they brought back the idea of holding a World Cup for street children, leading to the inaugural Deloitte Street Child World Cup in March 2010. Here, a South African participant works on a piece for an exhibition of artwork by street children at the Durban Art Gallery, facilitated by Cambridge social enterprise Momentum Arts 07
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Cambridge and international development - The Humanitarian Centre

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